Although I never met "Mr K" he found my lost camera at burning man. Beautiful story of playa magic you might think? No Instead of handing it in to lost and found he didn't have a camera and decided this was a good enough camera for him. He kept it and started using it. Luckily for me another burner / Couch surfer had a big enough heart to make a copy of the pictures and try and locate me. Which he found through an eplaya post and sent me a copy of the pictures on DVD, thank god! Otherwise I would have lost pictures of two first time burner and photos with my sister who I haven't seen in ages. This person gave me Mr K's name as the person who found my camera.

I messaged him a couple of times and eventually got this final response. "hi. so i found youre cam iat monday morning by 9.00 and espo. yes it was working when i found it and rob coppiet youre pic to sent it to you. i had no camara at this time and i keept it. than in reno it fall to the ground and broke so i dorped it in the dump. i am soory for that. i hope rob gave you the pics. best K." This letter reads no remorse or even any understanding what he has done is wrong apart from an empty sorry. There was a lens attachment I could have used, battery and memory card. Not to mention I had fixed the camera once and maybe could have again but he just threw it away, or so he has claimed.

He was even in Vancouver two weeks later which is how I found him on couch surfing, he popped up as a nearby traveler. The burning man and couch surfing communities are based on trust,honesty and very much do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I am dumb founded at his actions and response.

I would like to know how someone who is a couch surfer and a burner could be so completely clueless as to what is the right thing to do and have so little idea that this is wrong. You may want to do nothing after reading this except shake your head. I just hope this attitude that is part of the default world doesn't find its way in our world. I am also just sad that MR K has missed the point of these two amazing groups of people.

He didn't drop your camera and throw it away, he decided that he would keep it for himself and had to tell you something. I am glad that you got your photos back, but the camera is now gone. Most people just want their images, and really don't care about the camera itself.

The story sounds bogus to me as well. All kinds of convenient and probably not possible to prove one way or the other (unless they green-light "CSI: Black Rock"), but not very believable. I have no doubts that had you gotten the broken camera, you could have salvaged *something* (though hey, he could drop you the memory card in the mail, couldn't he?), but the good news is that at least you got the pictures.

This thread reminds of a discussion I had with a friend. My burner friend was willing to share with me her jewelry so I could use it at burning man. I was too afraid to borrow it because I didnt want to accidently lose something that was not mine.

For that she said to me "Dont worry about losing my jewelry - it doesn't mean you lost it, it only means someone else found it". Now I think thats the attitude of a burner!So, be happy someone else used your camera for their fun It was your gift to them

lightbulb wrote:I would like to know how someone who is a couch surfer and a burner could be so completely clueless as to what is the right thing to do and have so little idea that this is wrong.

The sad truth is, lightbulb, that membership in these communities does not give people a specialness that surpasses and suppresses all our base qualities.I do think that what you said about trust being important in both of these communities is on to something. I don't know if you've been reading about the Occupy Wall Street people, but they seem to be basing their decision making and their day to day problems of food, and camping equipment and other necessities on a similar basis. So, for me it's interesting to see that happen. And so far they've been effective, because we haven't heard anything about open sewage, for instance, and we know the media would be all over that.I don't knwo if you've read or studies about "game theory" and the "prisoner's dilemma." I'm not a real whizz at it (in fact it sort of pisses me off) but I think it does get to the idea that any community that is so open is going to have a certain amount of parasites feeding off it. I don't have a solution, but awareness is something. Maybe.

Sorry about your camera. Sounds like a real jerk.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

That's way too zen for me! It's one thing when someone lends you something and thinks that way, totally something else when someone steals something from you. Your story about the jewelry reminds me of Maude in Harold & Maude.

wh..sh wrote:This thread reminds of a discussion I had with a friend. My burner friend was willing to share with me her jewelry so I could use it at burning man. I was too afraid to borrow it because I didnt want to accidently lose something that was not mine.

For that she said to me "Dont worry about losing my jewelry - it doesn't mean you lost it, it only means someone else found it". Now I think thats the attitude of a burner!So, be happy someone else used your camera for their fun It was your gift to them

JKhttp://www.mudskippercafe.comWhen I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

jkisha wrote:That's way too zen for me! It's one thing when someone lends you something and thinks that way, totally something else when someone steals something from you. Your story about the jewelry reminds me of Maude in Harold & Maude.

I think the person in question didn't steal the camera, but found a lost one and decided to keep it. Anyways, thats beside the point.

The idea is too zen for me as well. But everyday I try to be that person. That gives me an idea! Next year, I am going to take some kind of material possession that I hang onto and give it away.

PS: "Harold & Maude" is in my list of movies to watch. I shall watch it soon.

wh..sh wrote:I think the person in question didn't steal the camera, but found a lost one and decided to keep it. Anyways, thats beside the point.

The idea is too zen for me as well. But everyday I try to be that person. That gives me an idea! Next year, I am going to take some kind of material possession that I hang onto and give it away.

PS: "Harold & Maude" is in my list of movies to watch. I shall watch it soon.

I do see this side of things... I lost a water bottle and found one 2 days later with a note, "if you need this, please take it". Playa magic working. But when its things like a camera with pictures the was obviously lost, its not a straw hat or a piece of MOOP that is fun to add to your bike or clothing. If it wasn't for the other guy looking for me I wouldn't have the pictures which I think is why although dumb founded I am not devastated which I was for a few days until I got the first contact for the good Samaritan. The idea is a good one, I have been traveling for a long time now and have let go of many material things, however its a possession you decide away, not one that was lost and easily returnable.

jkisha wrote:That's way too zen for me! It's one thing when someone lends you something and thinks that way, totally something else when someone steals something from you. Your story about the jewelry reminds me of Maude in Harold & Maude.

I think the person in question didn't steal the camera, but found a lost one and decided to keep it. Anyways, thats beside the point.

The idea is too zen for me as well. But everyday I try to be that person. That gives me an idea! Next year, I am going to take some kind of material possession that I hang onto and give it away.

PS: "Harold & Maude" is in my list of movies to watch. I shall watch it soon.

If you like "Harold & Maude" put "Motel Hell" on the list too; right along with "Eating Raoul". All classics.

JKhttp://www.mudskippercafe.comWhen I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

One year I found a half-broken low-end Olympus digicam during cleanup and managed to find the owner, who then completely flaked on giving me contact info beyond his email address. No great loss, all the pics were lousy.